Channel valve



W. J WOOLLEY BSMJZU CHANNEL VALVE 2 SheetsSheet 1 May 2, W67

Filed Sept. 8, 1964 R11, f [W .X, I llmni. IIMFIE li t i 1 I 1 wwJ .v Um%N\\uH...y/// m RN 9% WW n. I WvN mm J E m/ Z w \a E 7 WW m m. MN, MW

imim

y 1967 w. J. WOOLLEY 3,316,720

CHANNEL VALVE Filed Sept. 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States PatentOfitice 3,3l6,720 Patented May 2, 1967 3,316,720 CHANNEL VALVE WilliamJ. Woolley, (lair Park, 111., assignor to Henry Pratt Company, acorporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 394,841 9 Claims.(Cl. 61--24) This invention relates to a channel valve and moreparticularly to a liquid flow controlling gate for installation with anupwardly open channel.

There are many instances in which water and other liquids are conveyedin upwardly open channels, such as flumes for diverting irrigationwater, sewage treatment plants for controlling gravity flow of affiuentin open channels, water aqueducts or channels connecting reservoirbasins in treatment plants and other such water facilities. In the pastit has been a relatively expensive proposition to provide closing gatesfor such open channels, particularly since the channels are often ofconsiderable size making the hydrostatic head against a closed gaterelatively substantial. Most proposals have required valve sectionsbuilt into the channels of special construction and of considerablecost.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a distinctimprovement in the control of open channel liquid flow.

Another object is to require a minimum amount of construction in anupwardly open channel for the purpose of receiving a valve closure whichcan control liquid flow in the channel.

Another object is to provide for liquid flow control in a channel in amanner permitting considerable latitude in the selection of the locationof the control within the channel.

Another object is to provide a gate member for a liquid flow channelwhich may easily be made tight against leakage past the gate even thoughthe channel may be substantially full of liquid.

A further object is to provide a channel valve which requires no specialframe or housing in order to obtain liquid-tight shut-01f.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an upright sectional view through a channel looking toward aclosed gate member of a channel valve showing the usual concrete masonryconstruction, all on a much reduced scale;

FIGURE 2 is an upright sectional view through the channel and a gatemember of the valve taken substantially along line 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional View through the seal member on thechannel valve on a larger scale than FIGURES 1 and 2, but yet smallerthan actual size; and

FIGURE 4 is a flow diagram intended to be used with the inflatable sealon the channel valve gate member shown in FIGURES 1 to 3.

The channels in which the valves of the present invention will beinstalled are of usual construction and substantially as illustrated inFIGURE 1. The channel is formed of concrete masonry and in this respecthas a bottom of reinforced concrete with a relatively smooth bottomsurface 11 extending from side-to-side of the channel. Upstanding sidewalls are joined with the bottom in order to make an upwardly openchannel through which water, sewage or the like flows generally bygravity. The left-hand side wall 12 has a smooth inner surface 13 andthe right-hand side wall 14 shown in FIGURE 1 has a similar smoothsurface 15. In many instances the juncture of the bottom wall and sidewall surfaces will be rounded as in the corners 16 and 17 illustrated inFIGURE 1. However, should the side walls intersect the bottom wall in asquare, sharp corner, grout may be added to give the corner someroundness as illustrated in the surfaces 16 and 17 where the valve is tosit.

The channel just described may be of various sizes. It is common to makethe channel relatively large, since it usually must accommodate andconvey a large quantity of water in a relatively short time. The channelillustrated in one some twelve feet wide and the Water may run to adepth of slightly over six feet when the channel is full.

The entire supporting structure for the gate or closure of the channelvalve which is required to be attached to the concrete masonry structureof the channel itself may be easily placed in the forms when theconcrete for the channel is poured. The supporting structure consists ofa metal plate 20 embedded in the bottom wall 10 of the channel and heldin position by anchor bolts 21 in order that the plate may position anupstanding pivot pin 22 extending above the smooth bottom surface 11 inthe bottom wall. Near the top of each side wall an angle bar 23 will beinstalled after the wall masonry has set upon anchor bolts 24 set Withinthe wall 14 and similar anchor bolts 25 set in the wall 12. These boltsare placed in the forms and embedded in the concrete so that their outerends may receive a threaded nut such as 26 and 27, respectively, tosecure the angle-shaped bars 23 against the wall surface. The so-securedangle bars eventually will support a cross-structural member here shownin the shape of a channel 28 which is bolted by bolts 29 and 30 to theangle bars 23 so as to extend across the channel above the high liquidlevel. The positioning of the cross member is chosen to be verticalabove the bottom pivot pin 22 so that it may carry a pivot shaft 32 forthe large gate 33.

Since the gate 33 will be supported on its upper and lower pivotsexclusively, it requires little preparation to embed the bottom plateZtl for the lower pivot pin 22 and the anchor bolts 24 and 25 in eachside wall for the assemblage of the cross-sectional member 28. Thechoice of location along the channel for the installation of the channelvalve may be chosen quite easily under these circumstances.

The gate of the channel valve is a built-up member of steel platesWelded together and generally consists of a box-like member withinternal stiffening webs and ribs. As viewed in FIGURE 1, the frontplate 34 extends from side-to-side of the gate terminating at its edgesshort of interference or contact with the wall surfaces 11, 13 and 15.Along the periphery of the gate there is a continuous smooth peripheralplate 35 which extends across the bottom and up each side of the gate sothat this plate is substantially parallel to the bottom wall and sidewall surfaces of the channel. The gap or space between the peripheralplate and the side wall is sufficiently large that no contact will occurwhen the gate turns on its upper and lower pivots. Completing the gatestructure itself, there is a back wall 36 substantially the same sizeand shape as the front wall 34 and a horizontal top plate 37 joining thefront and back plates. The gate is a closed structure having no liquidinternally and being liquidtight. Since the gate is about twelve feetacross and over six feet high, it is quite heavy, this Weight beingborne upon the lower pivot pin 22.

The gate member may be turned from a position crosswise of the channelas illustrated in FIGURE 1 through to a position where the gate alignsitself lengthwise of the channel in the direction of fluid flow. Thegate remains in the channel and the liquid flows around and past it. Themeans for turning the gate consists of a geared operator 38 providedwith a hand wheel 39, the

gears being supported upon a base post 40 bolted to the structural crossmember 28. The upper pivot pin 32 is actually a shaft having a portion32 (FIGURE 2) extending upwardly into the gear reduction box 38 andbeing rotatable upon rotation of the handle 39 so as to move the gate. Asteel open grating 41 extends from one side wall 12 to the opposite sidewall 14 around the valve operator in order to give workmen access to theoperator for the valve gate.

When the gate member is crosswise of the channel, a gap between the edgeof the gate and the side wall and bottom wall will exist. Referring toFIGURE 2, this gap is intended to be sealed by an inflatable memberextending down one side of the gate, across the bottom and up the otherside so that the seal member is continuous on three sides of the gatemember. The seal consists of a rubber or rubber-like inflation having abase portion 42 secured against the peripheral plate 35 on the gate. Agenerally W-shaped portion 43 attached to the base of the plate may flexfrom the solid line position shown in FIGURE 2 to the dotted lineposition when the space 44 is inflated by liquid or air. The normalposition of the inflation or seal is shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2.In such position it is generally protected by metal ribs 45 and 46 whichextend continuously over each side and the bottom of the gate on theupstream and downstream sides of the seal. The metal protecting ribs arein the form of angles and bolts 47 and 48 pass through legs of theangles and the base 42 of the rubber seal to hold it against the gatemember. As noted in FIGURE 2, the sealing structure is mounted on thegate member near the upstream face plate 34 so that the seal may passthe bottom pivot pin 22 uninterrupted.

It is contemplated in many instances that the seal will either beconnected to a source of air pressure controlled by a valve near thegate or by remote control, and in some instances may simply behand-pumped full of air with a simple pump such as might be used to filla bicycle tire. The amount of pressure required within the resilientseal to inflate it to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 2 can beadequately supplied with a simple hand pump. The inflation will causethe seal to engage directly against the concrete Wall surfaces of thechannel with sufficient force to seal against the hydrostatic headcaused by a full channel of liquid. In FIGURE 4 the seal structure isshown generally at 50 connected by a line 51 and check valve 52 to areservoir 53 of air. The reservoir 53 may be replaced by an ordinaryhand pump which will provide air through the check valve to theinflatable seal. A release valve 54 may be provided for allowing theescape of air from the inflatable seal and since the seal normallyretracts to the full line position of FIGURE 2, nothing more is requiredthan to deflate and thus unseal the valve against the walls of thechannel. A gage 55 showing the pressure within the seal may be provided,if desired. Once the seal is deflated, the gate structure is free tomove in the channel, but generally will not do so without the impetusprovided from the operator 38 since the loads on the gate will bebalanced about the central pivots 22 and 32. The inflation possible inthe seal is not suflicient to raise the gate on its pivots relative tothe channel since the gate is sufliciently heavy to provide an adequatebacking of that part of the seal across the bottom of the channel.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in theart.

I claim:

1. A valve for controlling liquid flow in an upwardly open channelhaving a bottom wall surface and spaced upwardly extending side wallsurfaces for directing flow along the channel, comprising:

a gate member having bottom and side peripheries similar in shape to thecross-sectional shape of the channel surfaces confining the liquid flow,said gate member being of a size to span the channel with the channelwall surfaces spaced slightly outwardly of the gate member peripheries,

a pivot member secured in the bottom wall generally midway of thechannel,

and a cross member spanning the channel between the side walls aboveliquid level and carrying an upper pivot member,

said gate being mounted on said pivot members, said gate being swingableon said pivots between positions crosswise of the channel and alignedlongitudinally of the channel,

and an imperforate inflatable seal member extending over saidperipheries of the gate member opposite said liquid confining surfacesof the channel, said seal having means for receiving an inflating fluidand having an expandable section for outward extension from the gateinto sealing contact with the bottom and side walls of the channel.

2. A valve as specified in claim 1 in which the gate member has a widthgreater than said bottom pivot member with a peripheral plate extendingacross the bottom and up each side of the gate member, said inflatableseal member being secure against said peripheral plate continuouslyacross the bottom member and up each side thereof.

3. A valve as specified in claim 1 in which said pivot members arearranged substantially in a vertical axis and the weight of the gatemember is carried on said lower pivot, the weight of the gate memberexceeding the pressure of inflation in said inflatable seal membertending to lift the gate upwardly in the channel.

4. A valve for controlling liquid flow in an upwardly open channel asspecified in claim 1 wherein the channel is of concrete masonry havingbottom wall surfaces and side wall surfaces continuous through thelocation of the gate member and the inflatable seal member engages suchcontinuous wall surfaces to block liquid flow along the channel.

5. A valve as specified in claim 1 in which the gate member has aperipheral plate extending across the bottom and up each side of thegate member, said plate being oriented to be substantially parallel withthe adjacent channel surfaces when the gate member is crosswise in thechannel, said seal member being mounted against said peripheral plateand having an intermediate portion free to flex outwardly only forspanning the space between the gate member and walls of the channel whenthe gate member is crosswise in the channel.

6. A valve as specified in claim 5 in which a metal protective rib ismounted adjacent the seal member along each edge thereof, said ribextending outwardly from the gate member and terminating in an outeredge out of contact with the channel surfaces, said seal member beingmounted between the outwardly extending ribs and being confined inretracted position between said ribs.

7. A valve for blocking liquid flow in an upwardly open channel having abottom and upwardly extending side walls,

a lower central pivot mid-stream of the channel,

a cross-structural member above high liquid level in the channel andattached to the side walls spanning the channel,

an upper central pivot on the cross member above the lower pivot,

a large gate having a shaped periphery matching the shape of the channeland mounted for swinging movement on said pivots, said gate having anedge wall spaced from the wall of the channel when extending across thechannel, said gate being oriented with liquid flow direction when fromacross channel position,

an imperforate inflatable seal secured in continuous peripheral contactwith the gate from one upright side of the gate across the bottom and upthe opposite upright side of the gate, said seal when deflated being outof contact with the channel bottom and side walls and when inflatedhaving a portion engaging sealingly such wall surfaces.

8. A valve as specified in claim 7 in which the gate member is astructurally unbendable member and carries the entire hydrostatic headof liquid thrust against the gate member to the lower and upper pivots,said pivots are secured to the channel structure and said inflatableseal closes a gap between the periphery of the gate member and the wallsurfaces of the channel when the gate member is crosswise of thechannel.

9. A valve as specified in claim 7 in which the gate member has a shaftextending upwardly through the upper pivot member, operator means aresecured to said member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Griggs 6l-24Martin 6124 Lee et a1. 61-22 X Nordin 6122 Murphy 6128 Harza 61-28 EARLJ. WITMER, Primary Examiner.

1. A VALVE FOR CONTROLLING LIQUID FLOW IN AN UPWARDLY OPEN CHANNELHAVING A BOTTOM WALL SURFACE AND SPACED UPWARDLY EXTENDING SIDE WALLSURFACES FOR DIRECTING FLOW ALONG THE CHANNEL, COMPRISING: A GATE MEMBERHAVING BOTTOM AND SIDE PERIPHERIES SIMILAR IN SHAPE TO THECROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE OF THE CHANNEL SURFACES CONFINING THE LIQUID FLOW,SAID GATE MEMBER BEING OF A SIZE TO SPAN THE CHANNEL WITH THE CHANNELWALL SURFACES SPACED SLIGHTLY OUTWARDLY OF THE GATE MEMBER PERIPHERIES,A PIVOT MEMBER SECURED IN THE BOTTOM WALL GENERALLY MIDWAY OF THECHANNEL, AND A CROSS MEMBER SPANNING THE CHANNEL BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLSABOVE LIQUID LEVEL AND CARRYING AN UPPER PIVOT MEMBER, SAID GATE BEINGMOUNTED ON SAID PIVOT MEMBERS, SAID GATE BEING SWINGABLE ON SAID PIVOTSBETWEEN POSITIONS CROSSWISE OF THE CHANNEL AND ALIGNED LONGITUDINALLY OFTHE CHANNEL, AND AN IMPERFORATE INFLATABLE SEAL MEMBER EXTENDING OVERSAID PERIPHERIES OF THE GATE MEMBER OPPOSITE SAID LIQUID CONFININGSURFACES OF THE CHANNEL, SAID SEAL HAVING MEANS FOR RECEIVING ANINFLATING FLUID AND HAVING AN EXPANDABLE SECTION FOR OUTWARD EXTENSIONFROM THE GATE INTO SEALING CONTACT WITH THE BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS OF THECHANNEL.